Automatic recloser



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AUTOMATIC RECLOSER Filed Aug. 31, 1949 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 INVENTOR. 6 EDR (.5 A .M/WTHEWJ WMA FW A Y'TOZRVEY'S' United States Patent AUTOMATIC RECLOSER George A. Matthews, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to I-T-E Circuit Breaker Company, Phiizrdelphia, Pa.

Application August 31, 1949, Serial No. 113,371 21 Claims. (Cl. 200-89) This invention pertains to a self-contained fault current powered and actuated circuit breaker of the type now known as a recloser. The invention is a new combination of mechanisms forming a recloser that is an improvement over the forms of reclosers and interrupters disclosed in my earlier United States patent applications 753,085, 751,511, 611,617, 439,576, and 522,120 which have issued as Patents 2,118,355, 2,167,665, Re. 22,872, 2,443,260, and 2,487,025, respectively.

In this present invention I have retained the novel principles of operating characteristics as set forth in the earlier patents wherein with fault current flowing the first opening stroke is instantaneous, followed by a reclosing stroke, and all subsequent opening strokes are time delayed, finally to a locked open position if the fault is not cleared by the opening strokes, or a resetting to position for an instantaneous stroke if the fault is cleared by the opening strokes short of reaching the locked open position.

My new invention provides a recloser which has in its combination, linkage for manual operation under normal loading conditions.

My new invention provides a recloser by which the overall time duration of fault current will not exceed 1% to 1 cycles (60 cycle system) when the fault current exceeds 8 /2 times the continuous rating of the recloser. At this speed I have reduced the overall time of fault duration to 60% of that obtainable in the reclosers disclosed in my Patent 2,443,260 and application Serial No. 522,120. This reduction in time for fault duration has its advantage in that an overhead conductor is damaged to a lesser degree by the fault arc for the shorter duration. By referring to Figure 1 of my Patent Re. 22,872 and using No. 6 wire, for example, because it is the most generally used wire size for laterals, it is noted that this size conductor will burn olf in 2 /2 cycles with a 1375 ampere arcing fault, whereas at 1 /2 cycles 2375 amperes are required to burn it apart at the arcing fault. For current values less than the above, which will not burn the conductor apart, the damage to the conductor is very substantially reduced due to the reduced duration of the arc.

This invention provides a recloser wherein the elapsed time between the initial opening stroke and the closing stroke can be accurately adjusted to suit the characteristics of the circuit to which it will be applied.

This invention further provides a recloser in which the mechanism is adjustable to afford inverse time delay or definite time delay characteristic to the opening strokes after the initial instantaneous opening stroke, if on the initial closing stroke the fault current re-establishes as the result of the initial fault.

This invention also provides a mechanism in a recloser which can be adjusted and calibrated to regulate the time interval during which the fault current flows in the recloser, thereby satisfying the time-current tolerances necessary for proper coordination of reclosers with fuses and other protective devices generally operated in conjunction with reclosers. The use of the improved timing regulation for better coordination enhances the use of fuses in laterals, and the use of the smaller fuses, made possible by the improved regulation, will provide more reliable protection and performance. In this invention 1 am disclosing the time regulating mechanism.

My invention provides a recloser which, when closed after a lockout, has suflicient time delay to pick up the increased current usually encountered when energizing a cold circuit. That is to say that when the recloser is closed after a lockout, the delay mechanism will provide a time delay interval before tripping out, long enough for the load current to return to normal, at which value the recloser will not open to interrupt the circuit because the normal load is not sufficient to cause operation of the recloser.

My invention also provides a recloser which is dimensionally smaller than that disclosed in my earlier said patents. This recloser, within the same overall physical dimensions, is commercially rated from 60 to 300 amperes continuous load current. The rating of reclosures can be changed by interchanging coils of proper ratings. That is to say that the 5 ratings of the recloser, in the above noted range, all fit the same housing or case.

Still further provision is made in this invention for a simplified mechanism and recloser as compared to those disclosed in my prior inventions hereinbefore noted. The new simplified mechanism and recloser thereby affords a lower cost unit to produce.

This invention also discloses a timer mechanism which through its connected regulating control provides improved time-current coordination which is desirable for service application. The timer mechanism has a novel free running characteristic which provides a cycle minimum time delay, which is approximately of that provided by the timers disclosed in my prior inventions. The new timer mechanism further provides accurate timing which is independent of temperature variations thereby contributing to the accuracy of regulation by controlling reclosers.

My new invention provides a recloser which, by introducing a high reactance into the fault circuit, causes a substantial reduction in the fault current magnitude prior to interruption. This high reactance is normally shunted from the circuit.

My new recloser provides a switching device which clears transient faults from a circuit by its instantaneous opening stroke and restores service to the circuit, after a few cycles of deenergization, by its fast reclosing characteristic. Service records show that at least of the faults are transient; therefore, this recloser, with the above improved characteristics, is an advancement in the art of circuit protection.

My new invention also provides a recloser combination in which the main operating coil is not energized until the magnitude of the fault current is great enough to provide a full interrupting stroke for the interrupting contacts. This combination also provides for the elimination of contact chattering when the minimum value of operating current is appoximated but not quite reached,

In order to provide the greatest economy in design and application, the recloser is spring operated to circuit closing position and operated to open position by an operating magnet energized by the fault current. The present recloser is, therefore, automatic and self-contained. The control elements are energized at circuit potential, thereby saving the cost of insulating the control from the line potential. If external low voltage control were used, it would be necessary to insulate the low control voltage from the elements of the recloser which are energized at the high potential of the line. Such insulation problems are, therefore, fully met by my invention wherein this insulation problem does not exist.

My recloser is fault current powered because as such it does not require external power for its operation. This results in the installed cost being considerably less than that for switchgear which requires external power for operation. The reclosers beingself-contained also saves the cost and installation of external relays for controlling operation of the switchgear.

The power requirements of such. an operating magnet, mentioned above, to operate the spring biased contacts of a relatively large circuit breaker are quite substantial and accordingly the operating magnet must be quite large. it is, therefore, not practical to maintain the operating magnet connected continuously in the power circuit due to the power loss of normal current flow therethrough. The operating magnet is, therefore, normally bypassed by contacts which are operated to disengaged position by an armature of a control magnet connected in series with the operating magnet as shown in Patent No. 2,443,260

and application Serial No. 522,120. The losses in the lowloss control magnet are easily dissipated to maintain operating temperatures in keeping with established limits. The by-pass control also makes it possible to produce reclosers of greater current carrying capacity than that possible without the by-pass control. This provision, therefore, permits production of reclosers in the larger power classification of switchgear suitable of either indoors or outdoor station mounting.

Inasmuch as full load currents and even momentary fault currents may flow over the by-pass contacts, these contacts themselves are relatively large. The control of the operating coil by by-pass contacts makes it possible to utilize a low-loss control coil in series with the main contacts.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel control magnet construction for controlling the by-pass circuit around the operating magnet.

In operation, the recloser opens instantaneously and recloses after a predetermined time delay sufficient to permit a transient fault condition to cure itself.

In accordance with the present invention, the recloser, following disengagement of the contacts in response to a fault, is latched open. A time delay mechanism is then set into operation to release the latch after a predeter mined interval following disengagement of the contacts to permit re-engagement by the closing spring.

In order to vary the timing control of the time control mechanism, a second armature is provided on the control magnet and is loosely coupled thereto magnetically. The second armature moves through a variable angle in accordance with the current value of the fault current flowing in the control magnet. This variable angular movement of the armature is achieved by providing a plurality of spring pressed stops for the armature, each at a difierent angle and presenting individual spring forces against movement of the armature. These stops are adjustable to provide control for shaping the time current to suit co-ordination requirements.

The variable angular movement of the armature in turn controls an adjustment of the time control mechanism to vary its timing control in accordance with the angular movement of the armature.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a novel time delay control which is variably oper ated in accordance with the extent of the fault current.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a control magnet having an armature operated through variable distances in accordance with the fault current.

Another object of the invention is to provide a time control mechanism variably controlled by the control magnet.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel control magnet having a first armature for controlling a by-pass circuit for an operating magnet and a second armature variably operated in accordance with a fault current for controlling a timing mechanism, which controls the latch.

Inasmuch as the recloser is magnetically operated open and spring operated closed and time delay for both reclosing and reopening the recloser is desired, a time delay mechanism which delays the spring closing operation and electromagnet reopening operation is desired.

To this end, the recloser is latched open following an opening operation and the time delay mechanism controls the time of release of the latch to permit spring operated reclosing of the contacts. The armature of the control magnet is now latched against operation in response to the energization of the magnet by fault currents in the line. The time delay mechanism operates to release only the latch after a predetermined interval to permit operation of the armature of the control magnet, in response to the fault current, which in turn removes the by-pass around the operating magnet.

During initial conditions the latch is only partially in engagement. This has the effect of predetermining the fault current value to which the control magnet will respond to move its armature instantaneously for opening the by-pass around the operating magnet. In subsequent operations the latch is fully set and achieves a time delay for the same fault current value. To simplify that, when the latch is only partially engaged the forces are such as to enable the armature to respond instantaneously when the fault current occurs, when the latch is fully set then no matter what the fault current the armature cannot move until the time delay has permitted it.

Thus, while high speed closing by spring means and high speed opening by electromagnetic means is obtained, time delay in the release of these respective sources of operating energy is achieved by latching each of these elements for variable periods.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel recloser in which the contacts are latched out of engagement and the control magnet armature is latched against operation in response to energization of the control magnet.

A further object is to provide a novel recloser in which the contacts are latched out of engagement and the control magnet armature is latched against operation in response to energization of the magnet and in which a time delay mechanism releases the latch on the contacts and on the armature.

Still another object is to provide a novel control magnet for the operating magnet having an armature with a latch for preventing operation of the armature when the magnet is energized.

The degree of energization of the control coil is, of course, dependent upon the current value in the circuit. The control coil may be adjusted by an appropriate pickup calibrating screw so that it will attract the armature which operates the control switch at and above a predetermined current value. The pick-up calibrating adjustment screw simply calibrates a latch for this purpose, which latch does not offer a time delay but will yield at a predetermined energy level to permit instantaneous opening, the speed of which is determined only by the inertia of the parts to be moved.

As heretofore stated, the recloser is essentially a circuit breaker which opens and recloses several times. If the fault has not been cleared during the first opening operation, further trips and reclosures occur at definite intervals until the circuit remains energized or until the recloser locks open.

The first tripping operation of any series is always instantaneous (from /2 to 2 /2 cycles depending on the current magnitude), while subsequent trips occur after either an inverse or definite time delay depending on the setting of the timer mechanism included in the apparatus.

The first reclosing time is normally 30 cycles but a slower reclosing time of 5 seconds can' be obtained by simple adjustment. Likewise, in circuits where fast reclosure is desired, the reclosing time on the first reclosure 

